Apple River Canyon State Park, an Illinois State Park

USA

Illinois

Apple River Canyon State Park

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State Park Link:
Apple River Canyon State Park

Nearby Parks:
Lake Le-Aqua-Na State Park

State Park Contact Information:
	Apple River Canyon State Park 8763 E. Canyon Road Apple River, Illinois 61001 Phone: 815-745-3302 Reservations: 815-745-3302 Email: appleriver@dnrmail.state.il.us	Area Accommodations
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State Park Overview:

Apple River Canyon State Park is in the hilly northwest art of Illinois in Jo Daviess County near the Wisconsin border. This scenic canyon area was formed by the action of the winding waters of Apple River. Limestone bluffs, deep ravines, springs, streams and wildlife characterize this area which was once a part of a vast sea bottom that stretched from the Alleghenies to the Rockies.

The 297-acre park was purchased by the State of Illinois in 1932. Apple River is also in charge of other sites in JoDaviess County, Apple River Canyon State Park - Thompson and Salem Units, Witkowsky Wildlife Area, Tapley Woods, Hanover Bluff Natural Area, Hanover Bluff Nature Preserve, Wards Grove Nature Preserve, McKeague Unit Nature Preserve and Falling Down Prairie.

Nature of the Area:

Flowing endlessly for countless centuries, the Apple River has cut through the masses of limestone, dolomite and shale until massive cliffs now rise high above the water and canyons have formed. Vast ages of water and erosion widened and deepened the crevices as rivers and streams cut their way through the stone. Close-up views of the colorful canyon reveal walls dotted with mosses, lichens and tenacious bushes which have found crevices to hold their roots on the sheer walls.

The glacial sweep which ironed out hills and filled valleys in other parts of the state left this area unscratched. This circumstance accounts for the large number of fossil remains to be found near the surface here. It also was responsible for the easy availability of the lead veins that has much to do with the early development of this section of Illinois.

The park contains such wildlife as deer, squirrels, rabbits, raccoons, eagles, hawks and 47 varieties of birds. At least 14 different ferns and over 500 different herbaceous plants and 165 varieties of flowers can be seen throughout the park.

Reviews By Park Visitors:

visitor rating:

(6 votes) |Post Your Own Review

Pretty and Quite

This is a pretty park. Plan on waking to many types of bird songs new to you. Never crowded, we often feel we have the park is to ourselves.

(name not given) 12-Jun-2008

peaceful park

a friend of the family invited us to come along for the 4th of july weekend first i did not know what to expect but the i found out that the park is small but very attractive peaceful the river is very clean and the park staff gave us a good service i will hihgly recomend this park to any one who want to get away from the city

(name not given) 1-Jul-2009

Our favorite camp site camp

My husband and I have been going up to the campground for about 18 years now with our two youngest children. This year my daughter Megan and her husband Jason are starting their own tradition by taking their young son Tyler up also we love the area and the local people are wonderful. We hope to continue our yearly tradition for years to come.

Written by Maryann and Gregg Williams 15-Jul-2009

A great place to relax and get away

This park my family has been going to since my kids were small and my husbands been going there since he was a child. We love to go there because of how quiet and the sites are very secluded and most are good size

Written by Sam W 15-Jul-2009

A Great Experience

We camped here with our two young children and dog for 3 days, The park is beautiful and quiet. The sites are secluded with tons of privacy. We enjoyed playing in the river and looking for fossils! I would highly recommend this park.

Written by jleaphart 5-Aug-2009

Best place to relax

My husband and I have been coming here for the past 4 years and love it! Its quiet, the sites are private, large and wooded, the staff is friendly, and the even when the park is full on weekends, most everyone there is respectful of others. However in the past month (since it was aired on the WGN) I have found that there are quiet a few adventure seekers who are also less than courteous to others and the park its self. There have been people there with large rafts and ATVs. The park has no such places to use these things and the campers who have been bringing them have been disrespecting the park and its guests. Some sites have become mud pits, bathrooms have been trashed, dogs are left unleashed and not monitored (I was followed to the bathroom by one) and garbage has been left in many places (sites, trails, fishing spots. etc.) Hopefully after this year, those that saw it on the news will have realized that this park is not the adventure camp they were looking for and leave the place for those that love and respect it. This place is for you if you are looking for: -Rustic and quiet camping and the feeling like you are all alone in the woods. -Trails that can be traveled in about an hour and at times can be difficult for the novice but enjoyable -A place to take amazing photos that you would not expect to find in Illinois -A quiet fishing place for both bobber and bottom fishing and fly fishing. ----------- Not for you if you are looking for: -Amenities... Pit toilets only, no sinks or showers (wells only) -Rafting adventures -ATV or offroading trails

Written by Raven 28-Aug-2009

Camping:

The park offers 47 Class "C" sites without showers and also two handicap accessible sites. Reservations are not accepted, sites are offered on a first-come, first-serve basis. Camping permits must be obtained at the park office. Walnut Grove offers youth group camping and requires a reservation. The reservation form is available on this website or may be obtained by contacting the park office. Winter camping is available from 11/1 - 4/15 in our Walnut Grove Youth area only.

Trails:

Five trails - Pine Ridge, Tower Rock, River Route, Sunset and Primrose Trail (handicap accessible) - wind through the woods for several miles within the park.

Picnicking:

Four picnic areas with tables, grills, accessible drinking water and toilets may be found along the river?s banks. There are also three shelters, two are handicap accessible. The reservation form is available on this website or may be obtained by contacting the park office.

Fishing and Hunting:

Fishing:

The Apple River has a variety of fish including smallmouth bass, sunfish, crappie, carp, and suckers. When economically feasible the Illinois Department of Natural Resources stocks Apple River with keeper-size trout. The river is one of several in the state where the department releases this fish. Trout require clean, clear, cold water and in the spring, Apple River meets these requirements. However, the fish do not live through the hot summer months so the stream is stocked on a put-and-take basis. License and trout stamps may be obtained at the park office.

Hunting:

Hunting is available in the Thompson and Salem Units, Witkowsky Wildlife Area , Tapley Woods, Hanover Bluff Natural Area, Wards Grove Nature Preserve and Falling Down Prairie. Contact the park office for more information.

History of the Area:

Joutel, who was in the Mississippi Valley in 1687 and who was later to record LaSalle's expedition, wrote tales of Indian lead mines told by travelers to the "Upper Mississippi." The first white man to see the lead mines was Nicholas Perrot, a French trader who settled on the east side of the Mississippi in 1690. The first to exploit them was a Scotch adventurer, John Law. His Company of the West, founded in Paris in 1717 on the fraudulent claim that the Illinois lead mines were well-developed, collapsed with a thud, which was heard all over France and went down in history as the "Mississippi Bubble." In the nineteenth century American settlers arrived, the Sauk and Fox Indians were driven out in the Black Hawk War and Galena, thriving on the profits of lead mining, became a roaring boom town. Miners by the hundreds entered this country through a canyon which is now one of the principal attractions of the Apple River Canyon State Park.

The town of Millville was established where the park is now, but not a trace of it remains. Named after its two sawmills, Millville became a stop on the Galena-Chicago stage route and flourished until 1854 when the Illinois Central Railroad, building its line from Freeport to Galena, passed four miles north of the town. In 1892 a devastating flood washed out the dam, swept away many buildings and drove out the people of the town forever.

Area Accommodations

Hotels/Motels

Carroll County Tourism - Carroll County, IL
You will feel right at home when you reach Carroll County, our corner of beautiful Northwest Illinois. The magnificent Mississippi River and outdoor spaces will refresh your spirit and touch our soul.
Web Site: http://www.gocarrollcounty.com

Cottages and Cabins

Wisconsin River Retreat - Mazomanie, WI
Vacation cottages, fully furnished, located on the Lower Wisconsin Riverway. Clean 1100 sq. ft. two bedroom cottage with huge granite fireplace. These two renovated cottages were originally built during World War II as military housing for Truax Field Army Base, Madison, WI.
Web Site: http://www.wisconsinriverretreat.com

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